Defenders of Earth: Merchants of Death
by Darth Brando
Summary: Arc 1 of Defenders. A pair of merchants from another world show up, selling products that make people happy. But they're hiding a secret about the products. A deadly secret with dangerous consequences for humans everywhere. Can we discover their plot and save the planet before they sell out? Stick around, and I'll show you!
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings all, and welcome to my new series. It's probably a bad idea to start a new one while another is ongoing (I'm currently working on Doctor Who: The Hunger Games Series as well), but all of this stuff seemed fairly vivid so I thought I might as well start. If I get a lot of positive feedback, I'll keep going. Note, if I do that, this will be an entire series, not just one story. Also be aware that _the Doctor will NOT play much of, or really any role in this series._ This will essentially be how the Scouts will deal with all the nefarious beings of the Whoniverse. You know, Daleks, Cybermen, Ice Warriors and the lot. **

**Anyway, enough talk. You're probably just here to read.**

**Allons-y!**

* * *

**Behind Jupiter**

ACDC's "Highway to Hell" blared over the ship's intercom, waking the captain. "Lileen," she growled sleepily.

After a moment without any reply, the captain growled more loudly. "Lileen!"

When no answer was forthcoming, the captain sighed. She stretched and scratched her yellowish-green skin with her long claws before crawling out of the bed. After rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she ambled out of her cabin and to the bridge.

"Lileen, turn that racket off!" The captain ordered.

"Sorry Caizeen," Lileen said sheepishly. "D-D-four-t-seven, deactivate music."

The small, round floating droid bobbled its visual receptors in a nod. "Yes, sir." it said. The music immediately stopped playing, and Caizeen sighed in relief.

"Much better," she growled. "What was that for anyway?"

DD4T7 waved its small, slender arms. "I calculated that our mission would have a higher chance of success if we were to familiarize ourselves with human culture," it said glumly. "As this is an as of yet, mostly unexplored planet, in order to provide a full report to the Council of Raxacoricofallapatorias, it is important we understand the local species."

"I didn't buy you to think," Caizeen growled irritably. "I bought you to maintain the ship."

"I was not designed as a repair droid," DD7T7 protested. "I was designed as an interpreter and database of all known species to assist in exploration efforts."

"Shut up before I scrap you and dump what's left out the airlock," Caizeen snapped.

Lileen laughed. "Stupid droid."

As DD4T7 hovered away dejectedly, Caizeen turned her attention to Lileen. "Have you selected a trial city?"

Lileen bobbed his long neck. "Yes, ma'am." He pointed to the screen in front of him. "Based on surveillance, I believe that the city called 'Tokyo' would be an ideal site for a market survey. It's big enough to get a large sample, and if something should go wrong with the product, no one will notice a few people that go missing. Or at least, they'll have no way of finding them."

"Excellent," Caizeen mused. "Good work Lileen. Set a landing course. I want us set up and ready to start testing within one of the planet's days."

"Yes, ma'am," Lileen growled, turning back to the controls.

* * *

**Earth, Tokyo**

The great Wurm loomed above the city. It screeched so loudly that the ground shook and car alarms all across the city started blaring.

It twisted its massive head, larger than a skyscraper, towards the small group that was opposing it. It opened its jaws revealing thousands of massive, serrated teeth. The Wurm screamed again, bits of buildings, machines and earth falling from its teeth.

The gust caused by the scream managed to knock the small group down, except for one figure. Tuxedo Mask glared defiantly up at the great beast. Around him, the Sailor Scouts were struggling to their feet. Above them, the Wurm lowered its head, twisting it so that it brings one of its eyes up next to the small group.

"Your resistance is futile," the Wurm hissed. "Your world is mine to devour."

"What are you?" Sailor Mars demanded, fighting to keep the pain from her injuries out of her voice.

The beast laughed. "I am the Nightmare," it hissed. "I am your death." It reared its head back up, pointing its mouth down at the small group. With a roar of air the Nightmare began sucking. The rush of wind slowly started pulling Tuxedo Mask and the scouts towards the waiting maw.

They gripped whatever they could, desperately trying to fight the vortex. But it was futile. First Tuxedo Mask's hat and mask were ripped away. Then as the gust grew stronger the scouts were sucked up one by one, falling into the maw. "NO!" Sailor Moon sobbed, reaching for her friends. Soon, only Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask were remaining.

"Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask cried out, reaching for her. But there was another gust that knocked Tuxedo Mask to the ground. Still, he reached for her. But just as their fingers touched, she too was sucked away into the waiting maw. "Serena! No!"

The Nightmare howls in delight, "Your world is MINE," it proclaims. Then its maw opens and descends upon Tuxedo Mask.

Darian awoke with a start, his heart pounding wildly. He panted heavily for a few moments before stumbling out of bed. He staggered across his apartment, and threw open the door to the balcony. He forced himself onto it, and clung to the railing to stay upright.

He slowed his breathing, taking deep breaths of the cool night air. "It was just a dream," he said to himself, more for his own comfort than anything. But despite his self-assurances, his body refused to stop trembling.

Instead, he focused on the crescent moon above. It reminded him of Serena, and a small smile crossed his face. But it quickly disappeared as the vision of the Nightmare sucking her away plays in his mind.

But it was quickly forgotten as he spotted a burst of light in the sky. He watched, curious, as it descended into the city. "Probably a helicopter," he murmured. But something about it nagged at him. Deciding he couldn't get back to sleep anyway, he headed back inside. After a quick change of clothes, he left the building, heading to where the light had descended.


	2. Chapter 2

It didn't take Darien long to reach the site. Where once had been an empty lot sat a small shop. He frowned as he examined it. The sign over the door read only "Happiness". He pressed his face against the window, but couldn't make anything out in the darkness. He reached over and tried the door, but it refused to open.

"Locked, of course," he murmured to himself. He walked around the building once, looking for another entrance. Finding none, he clambered to the roof. Unable to find an entrance there, he reluctantly climbed down. Taking note of the quickly rising sun, he casually walked across the street and waited patiently for someone to show up.

But no one did. Instead, the doors slid silently open as the foot traffic started to pick up. Darien frowned. Slowly, he approached the shop and stepped in. Once inside, a short blonde woman immediately approached him.

"Welcome to the Happy Shop!" She chirped cheerfully."How can we make you happy today?"

"I'm happy enough, thanks," Darien replied dryly.

The woman seemed befuddled for a moment. "Right... May I inquire what brings you here then?"

Darien's eyes narrowed at the woman. "This shop wasn't here yesterday."

"I can assure you, it's been here for many years now," the woman said, seemingly oblivious to Darien's hostility. "Well, the building at least. We just moved in."

"What do you sell then?" Darien asked, glancing around the seemingly empty shop. "You seem a bit low on products."

"How silly of me," the woman responded as she hit a button beneath the counter. Dozens of shelves popped out from the floors and walls. Signs designating what the products were dropped out of the ceiling. "Everything here is designed to improve happiness," the woman continued after the shelves settled in.

Without asking, she dragged Darien around the shop, showing him the various wares. "All of our products release pheromones that cause you and those around you to feel happier," she explained as Darien reluctantly followed. "We also have a section of food that is designed to increase the brain's endorphin production."

"Endo-what?"

"Endorphins," the woman explained, talking to Darien as if he were five. "Chemicals in the brain that make one feel happy. So what'll it be? Is it something for you? A girlfriend perhaps?"

The dream of Serena falling into the wurm's waiting maw flashed through Darien's mind again.

"Girlfriend it is then!" The woman announced.

"How-?"

"Did I know that?" The woman's smile stretched wider. "Your heart rate went through the roof when I mentioned a girlfriend."

Darien jerked his arm out of the woman's grasp. "Very observant of you," he said dryly.

"Thank you!" The woman said happily. "Now are you going to buy anything?"

Darien glanced around the shop. He spotted a small bracelet and picked it up. "Couldn't hurt to have Ami check it out," he murmured.

"What a beautiful name!" the woman chirped. Darien winced, unsure of how the woman could have heard him. "Anything else?"

"Erm... no,"

The woman dragged Darien back to the register and before he realized what was happening, the transaction was over and the woman shoved him out the door. "Goodbye and come again soon!" She cried out as the doors shut behind Darien.

Darien blinked in the bright sunlight for a moment. He took a step away from the shop. The next thing he was aware of was a mass of gold crashing into him. The package with the bracelet fell out of his hand as he tumbled to the ground.

The bracelet clinked against the ground and Darien reached for it. But a familiar voice interrupted him. "Watch where you're going!"

Darien looked over to see Serena clambering to her feet, face set in a pout. When she saw him, her expression quickly changed to one of joy. "Darien!" she said happily.

"Hey meatball head," Darien replied, climbing to his feet. "Mind watching where you're going next time?"

"Heh..." Serena looked embarrassed as Darien helped her to her feet. "Sorry about that... but what are you doing here?"

Before Darien could reply, Serena noticed the bracelet and scooped it up. "Buying me a gift? Darien, you shouldn't have!" She squealed in joy.

Before Darien could protest, Serena gave him a quick hug, and then dashed off towards school. "Sorry I can't stay, I'm late!" She called over her shoulder. "I'll see you at dinner tonight!"

"Serena wait it's..." Darien tried to say, but she had already rounded the corner.

Darien huffed in exasperation when he noticed Luna, lunch sack in mouth, bounding after Serena.

"Hey Luna," he said, bending down to scoop up the cat and the sack.

Luna huffed in relief. "Thank you Darien," she said wearily. "Once again, Serena has forgotten her lunch. And you KNOW how she gets when she hasn't eaten."

"Trust me, I know," Darien said as Luna settled herself on his shoulder. He gestured to the Happiness Shop. "Something's up with that place. I think the Negaverse is up to something again. What's worse, Serena has a bracelet from there."

"How did Serena find time to shop before school?!" Luna demanded irritably.

"My fault actually," Darien said. He explained his plan to have Ami analyze it and the run-in with Serena.

"Then there's no time to lose," Luna said determinedly. "Get me to the school. I'll get the bracelet from Serena and have Artemis check out the shop. I'll also give the Scouts a heads up."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey all,**

**Before I continue, I just have to say thank you to Serenity1084 for Beta Reading this. She's done a TON of work with editing and letting me bounce some ideas off of (and helping refine a few of them). This wouldn't be where it is without her help. So thanks a lot for all of your help and effort!**

**Allons-y!**

* * *

_The Asteroid Belt: Between Mars and Jupiter_

The beast slowly woke from its slumber. Hunger gnawed at it as it became fully aware of its surroundings. But, at the moment, it ignored the sensation and instead was focusing on the information it received while it slept.

Unlike other living creatures, the beast was created in a lab on a long destroyed world. Its purpose was as a weapon in a forgotten war on a long forgotten planet. The scientists had grown it to develop mild psychic abilities to seek out life to consume, and had given it intelligence to comprehend the information it collected.

It had worked well. Too well. Once the beast had devoured the enemy, it turned on its creators, devouring them before feasting on the rest of the planet. When it was done, there was nothing left but debris.

Since then, the beast, the Nightmare as it came to be known, sailed the galaxy, finding planets to devour to whet its endless appetite. The ruins of the planet it drifted in had been its last meal, enough to sate it for several thousand years. But the Nightmare hungered again.

It turned its head, listening for the chorus of sounds that indicated life, and a planet to devour. Every planet in this system had traces and echoes of civilization. But most of these, the Nightmare ignored. They were, for the most part, long gone. But one small, blue planet drew the Nightmare's attention. After a moment of calculating, it converted the majority of its mass to energy to propel it towards the planet. But it didn't foresee the giant asteroid that slammed into it.

The Nightmare tumbled off course and hurtled past the planet. Irritated, the Nightmare was forced to convert even more mass into energy to stop and change direction. It recalculated carefully. After a moment, it released the energy and hurtled towards the planet.

With considerably less mass, the Nightmare was caught in the planet's gravitational pull. It let itself orbit, falling closer and closer to the surface. As it brushed against the atmosphere, it used most of the rest of its precious energy to keep itself from burning during the descent.

Once through, the Nightmare let itself fall to conserve what little energy it has left. As it fell, it scanned the dominant species. After a moment of consideration, the Nightmare morphed itself into a human female. With no energy left to control its descent, it let itself fall towards the huge city below it. It dropped between two buildings and crashed into the alley, leaving a small crater.

It slowly looked up to see a befuddled looking man staring at her. "You okay kid?" he asked, approaching the Nightmare. He glanced up at the top of the building before looking back. "You had a bit of a fall there."

The Nightmare hesitated, trying to probe the man's mind. The man didn't notice the Nightmare probing his mind as it learned the language.

The man stared at her while she seemed to struggle to answer. "Are you alright?" He asked with genuine concern. "You don't look to well. We should get you to a hospital."

"I'm fine..." the girl's voice came out harshly. "Just... hungry... so... _hungry_."

The man helped the Nightmare to her feet. "Sure you don't want me to call an ambulance?" He asked gently. "That was quite the fall, you know."

"I'm fine," the girl insisted. "I just need food."

" Well come on then," the man said gently. "Let's get some food in you."

He led her to a nearby restaurant and ordered some food. Within seconds of receiving the food, the Nightmare devoured it. The man stared at her in disbelief for a moment.

"You weren't kidding," he said, the shock obvious on his face. "Never seen anyone eat like that."

The Nightmare smiled coldly at the man. "Thank you," she said. "I really must be going now."

Before the man could reply, the Nightmare had left the restaurant. It wandered the streets aimlessly, trying to decide its next move. It muttered to itself as it walked. "I must blend in. I'm too vulnerable right now. At least until I can feast and regain my strength."

It paused for a moment as it came across a building. "School..." it hissed softly. It paused as a girl with a mass of blond hair dashed up to the building. The Nightmare looked at itself, then at the girl. Deciding they looked close in age, it approached her. "Excuse me," it said coolly. "I'm new here and I need to register."

"Oh, hi! I'm Serena!"

"I'm..." The Nightmare struggled to come up with a name for a moment. "Anastasia."

"Nice to meet you!" Serena replied cheerfully. "Come on, I can use you as an excuse for being late!" She grabbed Anastasia by the arm and dragged her inside the building.

After being registered and assigned to Serena's class, the two finally made it to the classroom.

"Serena, late again," Miss Haruna sighed in exasperation.

"I brought a new student!" Serena announced proudly. "This is Anastasia!" Serena shoved Ana in front of the class. "She's new!"

The class greeted Anastasia warmly. She looked uncomfortable as the class pestered her with questions. But Miss Haruna quickly put an end to it. She directed Anastasia to a vacant chair. "You can all ask your questions at lunch," Miss Haruna said. "Right now though, we have a lot of material to go through."


	4. Chapter 4

"The shop is very successful ma'am," the short blonde woman said glumly. Her form wavered for a moment and the hologram shut down, revealing DD4T7. "We have a sample size of two hundred sixty three. An additional fourteen may be added as items were purchased as gifts."

"Good, good," Caizeen rumbled. "They suspect nothing?"

DD4T7 swiveled its visual receptors left and right. "Negative ma'am," it said sadly. "My observations lead me to conclude that the humans are happy to purchase the products without any suspicion."

"Excellent," Caizeen purred. "Walk me through the process again Lileen."

"Yes, ma'am," Lileen growled. He shifted in his seat to face the Caizeen "The product is, to a degree, accurate in what it is advertised to do. The chemicals and pheromones released will indeed produce endorphin. However, the product also releases highly toxic chemicals that are absorbed by the skin. Exposure for seven of this planet's days is enough to absorb a fatal concentration. At least, the idea is that the concentration is fatal. That's why we're testing it. If it is deemed toxic enough, it will be used in warfare."

"It's barbaric," DD4T7 mumbled. "This is a Class 5 planet. The Shadow Proclamation would-"

"Shut up and get back to work before I wipe your memory," Caizeen interrupted.

DD4T7 made a sighing sound. Light rippled around it and the short blonde woman reappeared. She looked unhappily at the two Raxacoricofallapatorians.

"Remember, chin up and smile on!" Lileen ordered. "Let's sell more products!"

The woman put on a fake smile before stepping back out to the shop.

"I hate that droid," Caizeen rumbled. "I should have scrapped it when I had the chance."

Lileen shrugged. "We do need it."

"For now," Caizeen growled.

"Why don't you just wipe its memory?" Lileen asked.

"Because I need its database on other alien life forms," Caizeen spit. "Not to mention the holograms and its ability to adapt and blend into the local culture. I can't imagine the humans would be overly pleased to buy the products from us."

"Wish they would finish testing on that compression field," Lileen replied. "Then we can blend in ourselves."

Caizeen scratched her chin. "Yes, that would be nice. But we don't need to wait until then. I'm scrapping that droid the second the mission is complete."

* * *

"Where are you from Ana?" Melvin asked, pushing his glasses back into place.

Anastasia shifted uncomfortably at the attention. She tugged at her waist-length reddish-brown hair, tied into a single braid and wrapped around itself to prevent it from scattering. "Far away," she answered truthfully.

"Lots of places are far away," another student pushed.

Anastasia hesitated for a moment, her violet eyes flicking around at the assembled students, before answering hesitantly. "I'm from... Australia. Sydney."

"Wow, that's amazing!" Melvin exclaimed. "Did you know almost everything in Australia is toxic?"

"She's a bit pale if she's from Australia," Ami said to Serena and Lita. "She looks like she hasn't seen the sun in years."

"Who cares?" Serena whined. "I'm stuck here without lunch again. It's too much to bear... I'm going to waste away! Wither into nothingness and die!"

At that moment, Luna leaped down from the fence, lunch bag in mouth. Without hesitation, Serena scooped Luna up, and embraced her tightly. Luna squawked in indignation as Serena hugged tighter. "Thank you Luna, you've saved my life again!" Serena squealed. She dropped Luna, ripped open the bag and started inhaling the food inside. Ami and Lita watched in amusement for a moment, but turned to face Anastasia as she approached.

"Oh, hey Ana," Lita said. She noticed the absence of any food in Anastasia's possession. "Aren't you, hungry?"

Anastasia's small lips turned up in a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I'm always hungry," she replied.

"Well, I'm sure Serena can share some of her lunch," Ami said.

"Eh?" Serena mumbled through a mouthful of rice cake.

"That's very generous of her," Anastasia responded.

Serena glared at her friends as she reluctantly offered the remains of her lunch to Anastasia. In seconds Anastasia inhaled the remainder of Serena's lunch. When finished, she licked what was left off her slender fingers.

"Wow Serena, she eats like you do," Lita said in awe.

"That's a first," Ami added.

Serena stared at the empty containers and whimpered.

"Hey Ana," Lita said as the idea came to mind. "You should join us for dinner."

Anastasia smiled distantly. "That would be lovely," she said.

"Great, meet us at the entrance of the school when class is over," Ami replied.

Anastasia turned and walked away. When she was out of earshot, Luna spoke up. "Serena, I need that bracelet," she ordered.

"But... why?" Serena pouted. "Darien just got it for me."

"He got it because he wanted to see if the Negaverse was involved," Luna replied irritably. "You weren't supposed to get that."

Serena squawked and ripped the bracelet off as quickly as she could, then threw it on the ground. Luna nodded to Ami. "Ami, can you analyze this bracelet? From what Darien told me, the shopkeeper told him it's supposed to make the wearer happier. It sounds like a Negaverse plot to me."

Ami nodded. "I can, but I may have to miss a class."

"You, miss a class?" Serena asked incredulously.

"If the Negaverse is back, this is far more important," Amy replied.


	5. Chapter 5

After the final bell rang, Lita, Ami and Serena gathered at the entrance of the school. They glanced around for a moment, looking for Anastasia.

"Where's Ana?" Lita asked.

"Here," Anastasia said, as she approached the trio from behind.

"Hi Ana," Ami said. "How was your fist day?"

"Educational," Anastasia replied dryly, although in truth, she was fascinated by how little humans knew of science.

"That's the point," Lita laughed. "Unless you're Serena. Then it's just another nap time."

"Hey!" Serena replied indignantly. "I occasionally pay attention."

"If you would pay attention more often, your grades would be better," Ami chided.

"My grades are fine, thank you," Serena grumbled.

"Serena, you failed your last test!" Ami responded.

"Uh... guys?" Lita interjected, looking mildly embarrassed. Serena and Ami turned to face her. "Maybe we shouldn't argue in front of Ana?"

"You're right Lita," Ami said. "Sorry about that. I'm Ami."

"I'm Lita," Lita said. "It's nice to meet you Anastasia."

"It's nice to meet you too," Anastasia replied coolly.

"Now that's out of the way, let's get to the temple and meet the others so we can eat," Serena said. "I'm starving."

* * *

Rei sat in quiet contemplation before the fire. Her brow furrowed as she sensed something approaching. It was unlike anything she had ever felt. Most things she sensed were good or evil. This was neither. It was just an intense hunger that no amount of feasting could sate.

Before she could find the source, Rei heard Serena outside. Rei opened her eyes and huffed in frustration. Deciding that further meditating with Serena around would be a waste of time, she stood and stepped outside where the others were waiting. She hesitated when she spotted the newcomer.

"Hello," Rei said cautiously. Something about the newcomer bothered her, but she wasn't sure what it was. She seemed normal enough, except for the eyes. Other than being violet, they seemed cold and distant, like looking at a glacier from far away.

"Rei, meet Anastasia," Ami said.

Anastasia glanced at Rei. "It's nice to meet you," Anastasia said coolly.

Rei's eyes narrowed in dislike, but she quickly hid it. "It's nice to meet you too," she replied in an equally cool voice.

Before they could say anything else, Mina, Darien, Luna and Artemis arrived. After they had been introduced to Anastasia, the group entered Rei's house.

There, they spent the next few hours working together to make dinner. They laughed and joked, and, as usual, Serena and Rei fought over unimportant details. All the while, Anastasia watched, fascinated by the humans around her.

As the food was cooking in the oven, the girls watched TV, something Anastasia found both entertaining and educational. She rarely had any relationship with the inhabitants of the planets she visited beyond them attempting to kill her, and her eating them all. At some point, a short, elderly man, whom Rei called "Grandpa", entered the room. He was quite energetic about meeting Anastasia and had insisted on giving her a charm he insisted would repel evil spirits.

She accepted the charm with a dark smile. She felt something else as well as she studied the small group. Like a warm glow in her chest. Was this what humans called happiness? She shoved the feeling aside, quelling it as quickly as possible. She could not allow herself to feel any affection for the group. They were food to her. Nothing more, nothing less.

Despite herself, she couldn't help but like the little group. She allowed herself a brief moment of sadness, knowing that when she recovered she would have to devour them. But she quickly pushed it aside. Her hunger was too great for any amount of sympathy to outweigh.

Once the food was ready, the group dug in. Both Serena and Anastasia devoured their first servings in seconds. Before the others could even finish what they had, Serena and Anastasia managed to eat everything left.

The others just watched in horrified awe, as the food seemed to vanish in a matter of seconds. "I never thought I would see the day when someone could eat as much as Serena," Mina said in surprise.

Anastasia glanced forlornly at the now empty dishes. "I should really be going," she said. "My parents are waiting for me. Thank you for inviting me. If you'll excuse me." Without waiting for a response, she stood and walked out the doors.

Satisfied Anastasia was gone, Luna spoke up. "Ami, did you get a chance to analyze the bracelet?"

Ami nodded. "I scanned it already, and the results are troubling. If I understand correctly, the bracelet contains several chemicals, majority of which are unidentifiable. But what I do know is that the bracelet will cause the wearer to be happier. At the same time, it also releases chemicals that can cause severe illness if anyone is exposed to it for too long."

"Do you think the Negaverse is behind this?" Artemis asked.

Ami frowned. "I'm not sure. It could easily be a Negaverse plot, but it doesn't fit their normal pattern. It isn't absorbing energy, just making people sick. Either way, we need to check it out."

* * *

Outside, Anastasia hesitated as she spotted bright flashes of various colors of light. She turned to see the light originating from the house she had just left. Curious, she slowly approached the house. The lights stopped and the doors opened before she could reach it. Not wanting to be caught still around, Anastasia quickly transformed into a cat, similar to the ones she had seen in the house.

From the house came the girls and the man from before, but in different clothing. The two cats were with them. Anastasia waited until they dashed past before following at a discrete distance.


	6. Chapter 6

"DD!" Cazieen shrieked. "Get out to the shop! We have customers!"

"It's an odd time for customers," DD4T7 replied. "I observed that all other shops in this area are closed.

"Shut up and get out there," Cazieen growled.

The droid turned its attention to Cazieen. "As you wish," it said dejectedly. The light around it shimmered and the hologram of the saleswoman appeared.

She stepped out into the shop. "Welcome to the Happy shop!" she said cheerfully to the six individuals that were waiting outside.

The group glared at her. One of them, a girl with raven hair stepped forward menacingly. "We know what your product actually does," she hisses.

"Yes, it makes the wearer happy," the saleswoman replied. She smiled warmly at the group. "Is there something I can interest you in today?"

"Who's in charge?" The man asked.

The saleswoman turned to him. "Oh, you're that man from earlier today," she said. "Are you unhappy with your purchase?"

The man seemed taken aback. Even with the mask it was obvious. "What makes you think that?" he demanded.

"Voice patterns are the same," the saleswoman replied. "Additionally, scans indicate a one hundred percent genetic match between you and the individual I referred to." The woman realized what she said and tried to rephrase. "I mean, you look the same. I could be mistaken, but you sound the same too." As she spoke, she slowly backed towards the door marked "employees only".

"You really should leave now," the saleswoman said nervously. "The shop is closed. Goodnight!" She slipped through the door before the group could stop her.

"Done already?" Lileen asked, looking up from his holozine.

"We have a problem," the saleswoman said as the hologram shut down.

"What is it now?" Cazieen grumbled, getting up from the chair she had been lounging in.

Before DD4T7 could respond, the door burst open.

Cazieen opened her mouth. "What the –"

"Who are you?" Lileen interrupted.

"You seek to harm people by promising them happiness," the blonde girl with twin braids announced. "We're here to bring an end to whatever evil you Negaverse scum are up to!"

"Nega who?" Lileen asked, clearly confused. He glanced to Cazieen for clarification.

Cazieen shrugged as the girl continued speaking. "I'm Sailor Moon! I will right wrongs and triumph over evil!" she pointed at the Raxacoricofallapatorians. "And that means you!"

Cazieen tilted her head slightly to the side. "What are they blithering about?"

DD4T7 swiveled its visual receptors towards Cazieen. "Unsure," it answered. "There is no entry for 'Negaverse in my data banks. It may be a country. Also, based on speech patterns and word usage, I think she's threatening you."

"Bah," Lileen snorted. "They're only human."

"Be aware that they are in possession of non-terrestrial technology," DD4T7 replied. "I am also detecting large levels of psycho-kinetic energy. Based on my calculations, I would advise –"

"Shut up DD," Cazieen snapped. "I think we can handle a group of children."

"I'd like to see you try, ugly," Mars snapped.

"If you insist," Lileen growled. He shrieked before charging Mars.

Mars lobbed a fireball that hit Lileen in the chest. He squawked in pain, but kept charging, raising his sharp claws for the kill. Before he could take a swing, a ball of water hit his face and froze.

Unable to see, he tripped and crashed into the ground. Before he could get up, Venus tied him down with her Love Chain. He struggled uselessly for a minute, trying to both escape the chains and remove the ice from his face.

Jupiter shot a bolt of lightning towards Cazieen. Before it could hit, Cazieen reached up and batted DD4T7 into the oncoming bolt. The droid let out an electronic screech as the bolt struck.

"Finally a use for that stupid droid," Cazieen said smugly.

DD4T7 bobbed in a circle for a moment. Suddenly it stopped and turned its visual receptors towards Cazieen. "Ma'am, I'm turning in my resignation and seeking new employment." It said. It cautiously hovered over to the scouts. "I would like to offer my services." It said.

"You're working for them," Mars snapped. "I should fry you now." A fireball danced at the tip of her fingertips.

"I can help you defeat them," DD4T7 replied nervously, not looking away from the fireball.

"What?" Cazieen shrieked. "You tell them anything and I'll personally rip out your circuits, you worthless pile of scrap!"

"Acid," DD4T7 replied, ignoring Cazieen's threat.

Cazieen screamed and charged at DD4T7. She didn't make it far before being hit with a combination of attacks. She fell to the ground next to Lileen, bound as he was by Venus' Love Chain.

"Acid?" Venus asked as she fought to keep the two Raxacoricofallapatorians contained.

DD4T7 bobbled its visual receptors in a nod. "Affirmative," it replied. "Raxacoricofallapatorians are calcium based life forms. They are highly vulnerable to acetic acid."

"Of course!" Mercury exclaimed.

The other scouts looked at her blankly.

"Calcium reacts with acetic acid," Mercury clarified.

"Where are we supposed to find ack, acec –" Sailor Moon struggled with the word.

Sailor Mars huffed in irritation. "Acetic Acid."

"Vinegar," Sailor Mercury replied.

"Where are we supposed to find vinegar?" Tuxedo Mask asked.

"In a kitchen, of course," Sailor Jupiter replied.

The conversation was interrupted by a shriek as the Raxacoricofallapatorians somehow managed to escape Venus' Love Chain. Venus moved to bind them again, but Cazieen swiped with one of her massive claws, striking Sailor Venus with a vicious backhand.

Sailor Venus was thrown into the wall. She grunted then collapsed to the ground, unmoving.

"Venus!" Sailor Moon cried out, moving towards her friend.

Tuxedo Mask stopped her. She looked back at him as he spoke. "I'll get Venus to safety," he said. "You need to find that vinegar and stop those creeps."

Sailor Moon nodded, her jaw set in determination. "Right," she said. She turned back to the other Scouts as Tuxedo Mask scooped up the unconscious Sailor Venus and carried her out of the shop. "Let's teach these guys a lesson."

"I'm going to enjoy eating you," Cazieen growled. She raised a claw and pointed it at Sailor Moon. "Goodbye."

There was a puff off air and a small dart flew from Cazieen's outstretched claw and streaked towards Sailor Moon.

DD4T7 swiftly reached out and plucked the small dart out of the air. "Apologies mistress," DD4T7 said to Sailor Moon. "I failed to mention that Raxacoricofallapatorian females possess the ability to fire a poison dart. Fortunately, it takes some time to create a new one." It tossed the dart aside. "However, I must warn you that she also possesses the ability to exhale a single concentrated burst of highly toxic gas."

"Talk about bad breath," Sailor Moon said in disgust.

Lileen snorted. "I doubt eating you would make it better," he growled. "I can smell your stench from here. Besides that, you're too small and scrawny to eat. And ugly. Just looking at you gives me indigestion."

Sailor Moon's face flushed with anger and embarrassment. "Who are you calling ugly, you oversized –"

Cazieen screeched and charged the scouts. Lileen was right behind her. Despite the flurry of attacks that rained upon them, the two were only slowed enough to allow the scouts and DD4T7 enough time to retreat from the shop.

"How are these attacks not doing anything?" Sailor Mars demanded as another of her fireballs smashed into Lileen. In response, he ripped a shelf out of the floor and hurled it at her.

Sailor Mars ducked and the shelf, various products falling from it, soared over her head. The shelf crashed through the window of a restaurant on the other side of the street.

"They are, as I stated, calcium based life forms," DD4T7 answers. "Attacking them is similar to attacking stone."

"Stop talking and help us fight them!" Sailor Mars snapped.

"I cannot," DD4T7 replied. "My programming makes it impossible for me to engage in any form of physical combat."

Sailor Mars glared at DD4T7 for a moment. "What's the point in having you around then?"

"I can tell you that my scans detect a large amount of acetic acid in the facility that just had its windows broken," DD4T7 offered.

"Thoughtful of him to give us an entrance," Sailor Jupiter said through gritted teeth. She launched a bolt of lightning at Cazieen.

Cazieen used a nearby shelf as a shield. After the attack ran its course, Cazieen hurled the shelf at the Scouts.

The Scouts scattered, diving to the ground to avoid being struck by the shelf. While they were down, Lileen and Cazieen charged them. Sailor Mars launched another fireball at the two of them, causing them to flinch. It gave enough time for the other scouts to recover and continue attacking.

"Sailor Moon," Sailor Jupiter said after launching another bolt of lightning. "Get into the restaurant and get that vinegar!"

Sailor Moon nodded before turning and dashing towards the restaurant. DD4T7 followed close behind.

Sailor Moon clambered over the windowsill, but her foot caught. She squawked as she fell towards the floor and the hundreds of sharp pieces of glass that lay there.

Before she hit the floor, DD4T7 grabbed her, holding her in place. She sighed in relief as the droid pulled her upright. "Thanks," she said. "You saved my face from horrible disfigurement. Can you imagine, me having to hide my face behind bandages?"

DD4T7 stared at Sailor Moon for a moment, unsure whether she was making an attempt at humor or not. Unable to decide, it changed the topic. "Mistress, I would advise caution in the future." It swiveled its visual receptors around, taking in the entire restaurant. "Scans indicate the acetic acid is this way."

DD4T7 hovered towards the door in question. Sailor Moon started following when she tripped over a chair. She squawked, arms pin wheeling in a futile attempt to stay up. She hit the ground face-first.

"Ouch…" she whimpered, as she sat up. She glanced at the mirror set behind the counter, trying to determine how bad the damage was.

"Mistress, I would strongly advise assessing your injuries later," DD4T7 interjected. "At the moment our primary goal is to stop the Raxacoricofallapatorians."

"Right," Sailor Moon replied, mildly embarrassed.

She followed DD4T7 through the doors to the kitchen. The droid turned on a small light slightly below and to the side of its visual receptors. The light from the narrow, yet powerful beam, bounced of the many reflective surfaces in the kitchen, giving it a silvery glow.

DD4T7 hovered to a cabinet on the far side of the kitchen and opened it. Sailor Moon immediately spotted the large jar of vinegar. She struggled to heft it down from the shelf, almost dropping it in the process. She managed to get it to a nearby counter.

"I can't carry this back," she grumbled. "It's too heavy."

"Perhaps transporting the acetic acid in a smaller container would make the task easier," DD4T7 offered.

"How much do we need?" Sailor Moon asked. She spotted a measuring cup hanging from a hook above her head and pulled it down as DD4T7 replied.

"Not much," it said. "They react very violently with acetic acid. Even a small amount is fatal."

To be on the safe side, Sailor Moon filled two measuring cups with vinegar before carefully making her way out of the restaurant. She rejoined the Scouts who still kept up the attack on Lileen and Cazieen.

"Did you get the vinegar?" Sailor Mercury asked.

Sailor Moon held up the measuring cups in response.

"Get those creeps and let's end this," Mars spat after lobbing another fireball.

The Scouts let up their attacks to allow Lileen and Cazieen to get closer. Realizing the attacks had abated, the two screamed in rage before charging the scouts.

Deciding they were close enough, Sailor Moon threw one of the measuring cups at Cazieen. It struck her face, and the contents splashed everywhere, covering Cazieen in droplets of vinegar.

She froze, just as Sailor Moon threw the second measuring cup at Lileen. She missed, the container striking Cazieen instead. Most of the vinegar splashed onto Cazieen's body. What little remained splashed onto Lileen's arm.

The two stared at the Scouts for a moment. "Hah," Cazieen proclaimed gleefully. "It didn't work." She screeched, raising a claw. "You b–"

Cazieen exploded.

Bits sizzling from the chemical reaction splattered the walls and streets. The Scouts didn't escape it either, as foul smelling, goopy pieces rained down around them.

"Ew! Ew!" Sailor Moon screeched, attempting, but failing, to evade the falling pieces of Cazieen. "Why didn't you mention they would explode?"

"I was unaware that it would cause you so much distress," DD4T7 answered, clearly confused.

The other Scouts stood in horror and disgust, as they wiped off what bits they could.

Only Lileen seemed unaffected by the loss of his partner. He stared at his arm as the vinegar slowly dripped down it. The skin started sizzling and bubbling as the acid started eating away at the calcium.

Lileen screamed in pain. In seconds, the acid ate through his arm. What was left, fell to the ground, one end sizzling. He howled in pain, staggering back towards the Happy Shop.

"Stop him!" Sailor Jupiter exclaimed. "He's trying to get away!"

Even with one arm, Lileen managed to rip one of the few remaining shelves out of the ground. He hurled it at the Scouts. They ducked out of the way, giving Lileen enough time to stagger into the back of the shop. Before entering, he growled at the Scouts. "This isn't over." He staggered inside, the door sliding closed behind him.

"He's trapped now," Sailor Mars said triumphantly, a fireball dancing at her fingertips.

In response, the shop collapsed. From the rubble, a small ship hovered up. It swerved in the air, crashing into the adjacent building. Bits of brick, plaster and glass fell to the ground as the ship floated away from the building. Slowly, the ship turned until it was pointing at the sky. Its engines roared before it streaked away, quickly becoming lost among the stars.

* * *

The cat's tail curled and uncurled as it watched the end of the fight. Its eyes narrowed as it contemplated what it had witnessed. That the girls were powerful was obvious. They were easily powerful enough to present a threat to the Nightmare, at least for now. The cat watched as the girls hurried away. "You can't run from me," the Nightmare purred. "I'll be keeping a close eye on you."

The cat turned and sauntered away. At the end of the block, it transformed back into Anastasia.


	7. Chapter 7

"What are we going to do with you?" Ami asked DD4T7 after the group had returned to Rei's house. "You can't just float around all the time. It'll draw attention to you."

DD4T7 swiveled its visual receptors to Ami. "I can disguise myself," it said proudly. "In addition, my programming is adaptive, allowing me to blend into any culture. I am also capable of memorizing all information I process with one hundred percent accuracy."

"You could pretend to be me and go to school so I don't have to," Serena said slyly.

Rei huffed in frustration. "That's cheating Serena. You can't have a droid pretend to be you!"

"Why not?" Serena demanded. "If it's willing to -"

Ami interrupted. "School is supposed to prepare us for the future. If you aren't there, how are you supposed to learn anything?"

Serena waved Ami's objections away. "That's the point! If DD goes to school for me, I can concentrate on more important things. Like sleep, food and video games."

"It's a wonder you ever manage to accomplish anything," Rei grumbled.

"I heard that!" Serena snapped.

"Guys," Lita interrupted, looking uncomfortable. "Maybe we should figure out where to put DD first."

Ami contemplated for a moment. "I can't imagine any of our parents would be likely to enjoy having a droid floating around the house," she said. "That leaves only Lita and Rei."

"I'm NOT having it here anymore than necessary," Rei snapped.

"DD can stay with me," Lita offered. She turned to the droid. "But two things. One, we have to find a way to explain you and two; we can't keep calling you DD. You need a full-time disguise and a new name."

DD bobbled its visual receptors in a nod. "I believe I have a solution. It was something I did on Hakol. I masqueraded as the cousin of one of the natives."

"That might work," Lita mused.

The air around DD4T7 shimmered. A hologram of a girl appeared in its place. She had the same chestnut brown hair as Lita, though the girl's hair was as long as Rei and Mina's. Her eyes were also similar in color, but slightly darker. She also stood a half foot shorter than Lita.

"Is this satisfactory?" The girl asked.

"You look more like a sister," Lita replied. "But it'll work."

"What about her name?" Serena asked.

The group thought for a moment, before tossing around several names.

"What about Susan?" Rei offered.

"Maybe Rose?" Lita suggested.

"I like Charlotte," Serena said.

"It's a good name," Ami said to Serena.

The others nodded in agreement.

The girl smiled at the group. "Charlotte," she said. "My name is Charlotte."

"It's nice to meet you Charlotte," Serena said with a grin.

* * *

**Raxicoricofallapatorius - 3 weeks later:**

Lileen lumbered out of the court house looking pleased. His companion, a shorter Raxacoricofallapatorian, looked outright gleeful.

"We did it Lileen!" The companion crowed. "You're now one of the richest beings in the galaxy!"

"Indeed," Lileen rumbled happily. "Twenty million creds, just for losing an arm. Absolutely worth it. I should have sued the company years ago." He rubbed the stump of his arm contemplatively.

"Hah!" his companion snorted. "This will teach them to send workers to blatantly dangerous planets."

After a moment of silence, Lileen's companion turned her large, bulbous eyes to him. "What are you going to do with all that money?"

Lileen tilted his head. "First, I'm going to write a book about it. Earn a couple extra million. Then I'm going to hire the best bounty hunters in the galaxy to kill those Scouts. Once they're dead, I'll spend some money to have their heads preserved and mounted in my living room."

The companion scowled. "Make them pay for what they did to you, my darling Lileen."

"Oh, I shall," Lileen purred. "I shall indeed. Of course, we have to wait for the money to come through first."

"What shall we do until then?" His companion asked.

"I believe we shall celebrate my change in fortunes," Lileen replied.

His companion grinned before linking her arm in his. Together, the duo sauntered down the street.


End file.
